Lightened Darkness
by UnknownBlackHand
Summary: Meliodas was once the prince of demons, and led the Ten Commandments proudly. So how did the darkest of demons, decide to betray his clan and walk the lighted path? One-Shot, but PLEASE REVIEW if you want to see more!


Meliodas looked over the blueprints to his reconstruction for the Boar Hat. He planned to reuse the materials he could scavenge from the wreck of the old tavern, and had already gotten that part done, but now he had to calculate how many more materials he needed to finish the reconstruction and still budget himself to buy booze and food for his stock.

With the rejoining of the Seven Deadly Sins, he planned to make the new tavern as much of a home as it was a place of business, and hopefully Merlin could enchant it to keep it from getting obliterated by demons again. Meliodas managed to acquire the last of the materials he needed and then returned to the blueprints.

Elizabeth approached with a tray of food and drink for him, as he barely gave himself much of a chance to get it himself for the while.

"Sir Meliodas, would you care for some lunch?" Elizabeth asked, setting the tray off to the side of the blueprints. Meliodas looked up and thanked her, and also gave her one of his trademark-perverted-hugs that mushed his face into her bosom. He released her when she squealed, and gave her one of those impish little grins of his.

"Is that the plan for the new tavern?" Elizabeth asked as Meliodas started eating the food she brought him.

"Mm-hrnm, so, what do you think? I've come up with enough space for everyone to be cozy! Gowther will get his room with enough shelves for his favorite books; Merlin and Escanor will be on his floor too, with neighboring rooms, Esacanor's room will be small since he spends most of the daytime outside anyways, but Merlin will have plenty of space for her experiments; the floor below that will be for Ban and King, Diane too if she's made small again; the floor below that will be for the two of us and the great upper storage room; finally, there's the tavern, kitchen, and main storage." Meliodas told her.

"It looks wonderful! I can't wait to see it all finished!" Elizabeth declared. Meliodas gave his impish grin and drew out Lostvayne, with the power of Physical Clone and his uncanny speed, the new Boar Hat was constructed within a mere couple of hours!

When the clones vanished, Meliodas showed Elizabeth inside to see the new tavern. It looked a bit nicer than the old tavern, and there were inlays on the floor depicting the beasts of the sins: a dragon at the center of the floor, and the fox, serpent, grizzly, goat, boar, and lion encircling it. While Elizabeth was exploring the tavern, Meliodas collected the bottles of booze that managed to survive Derierie's attack, a fair handful, and he bought several more bottles and some food.

,

Hawk Mama soon bore the new tavern and brought it back towards Lioness. Once settled into place, the remaining sins regrouped there: Escanor, Ban, Merlin, and now Gowther. Of course Hawk was there too. They knocked back a couple of beers and a couple snacks, but then a rather tipsy Ban up and droned: "Hey, Captaaain, there's something that's been eating at my mind since 'Charity', well… you know…"

"If you need to recall his name, it's Estarossa." Meliodas told him in a grim tone.

"Riiight, well he said some things that got me thinking: One, he used to look up to you when you were the leader of the Ten Commandments; two, he said that you were his brother; three, he said that you're a traitor to the demon race. It got me thinking that at some point you must've been the worst demon of all over 3000 years ago."

"What do you want to know, Ban?" Meliodas asked in that same grim tone, crossing his arms as if prepared for Ban to touch base on a rather touchy subject. Ban took a deep breath, locked eyes with Meliodas, and asked: "How was it that you've managed to overcome that darkness and become a good man?"

"I must admit that I'm curious myself, Meliodas, I've heard a few details, but not the full story." Merlin stated.

"We've got all night." Escanor added.

Meliodas glanced over to Elizabeth, and saw that she looked curious to hear the story for herself, but also afraid of what she'll learn from Meliodas.

"I suppose it's an interesting story, but you must remember that this took place over 3000 years ago and I'm not the same person as I was back then."

"Of course." Merlin stated.

"Perhaps I could use my Invasion so we can see the Captain's memories as he tells the story." Gowther suggested.

"It should make things more interesting." Merlin replied. So as Meliodas began to speak, Gowther used Invasion to provide the visuals:

ΩΩΩ

Brittania over 3000 years ago was a dark time wherein humans lived in fear of the demons known as the Ten Commandments, no other demon was feared more than the Demon Prince Meliodas, heir to the throne of the Demon Clan. His comrades would offer up some of the finest souls they could capture, and he'd devour them whenever he felt like it. His callous disregard for life was despicable, but had his younger brother, Estarossa, in awe of him.

For brotherly fun one day, Meliodas led the Ten Commandments to a large city, and with Estarossa and Zeldris at his sides they engulfed the city in Hellblaze. When all of the citizens had fled for their lives or had their souls stolen, the Ten Commandments defiled a chapel and then hit a tavern to drink themselves silly.

"Meliodas, M'Lord, I've found some ale from Bangor! Really choice stuff!" Gowther announced

"I'll take it." Meliodas told him. He approached the cask and quickly drank about half of the contents.

As for the Goddess Clan, they didn't approve of the Ten Commandments defiling the sacred holy church and so the clan sent down over two-dozen of their members to attack the Ten Commandments, among them was the fair goddess Elizabeth.

"Hello, it looks like we've got company!" Galan declared, and he took off outside with the remaining Commandments following after him.

Meliodas looked to the sky and scowled, and with a snarl he said to his followers: "How dare these foul goddesses spoil our night! Let them have it!"

They flew into the air to engage the goddess clan, their holy powers of light stung their eyes, and so they struck quickly so they didn't have to look at them for too long.

Meliodas severed the wings off of several opponents, their cries of agony rang like beautiful music in his demon ears. Then he came upon the goddess Elizabeth, she stayed firm where she was and when they met eyes, she told him: "You need to stop what you're doing!"

"You want this to stop? So soon?" Meliodas questioned. A sinister smirk stretched across his face and he took Elizabeth by the neck and tossed her out of his way. She was thrown several-hundred feet before crashing through some trees and rolling into a beaten stop in a field.

Meliodas turned and saw that the remaining goddesses had used their combined light powers to drive away the Ten Commandments and reclaimed the city for the humans. So, not knowing where his comrades went, curiosity drove him to track down that goddess he tossed… perhaps he'll devour her soul.

He found her torn and twisted at the base of an olive tree, the feathers of her wings were bent, there were twigs, leaves, and grass tangled up in her hair, and there were cuts all over her body. Meliodas positioned himself so she'd look at his face staring down at her with that sinister smirk. Well she met his face, and she was too weak to fight anymore, and so she folded her arms over her chest, closed her eyes, and awaited her death at the hands of the Demon Prince. Things were made easy for Meliodas to draw out her soul, but when he did, the light of such a pure, innocent, and light soul blinded him! He let the soul go back into the goddess' body and rubbed his eyes.

"Please, I'm ready, just don't let me suffer." Elizabeth spoke weakly. Meliodas sneered at her and told her: "There's no fun in killing anything that can't fight back." He turned and left her in the field.

Elizabeth, still too weak to move, laid in the field and waited to succumb to the elements or to be healed; but much to her surprise, Meliodas had returned and stoked a fire while holding a skewered fish over the flame. When he decided that the fish was done, he sat the goddess up against the tree, harshly but what was to be expected from the Demon Prince? Finally, he gave her the fish and told her to eat it.

"Why didn't you kill me? You're a demon after all." Elizabeth spoke.

"I told you that I don't kill those who can't fight back, it's just not fun."

"You didn't just leave me to die though. Why did you come back and feed me?" Elizabeth asked, she took a bite out of the fish and found it poorly cooked, it was overdone on the outside but almost raw on the inside, but she didn't complain.

"I don't know where my comrades are, but I figured since you're so weak, and are now at my mercy, I figured that I could use you to learn everything about the goddess clan! Tell me what makes your clan tick, and I'll let you live!"

Elizabeth sat back and asked him: "Do you really want to know how we work?"

"I want to know everything about my enemies, it makes me more prepared to destroy them." Meliodas told her.

"Of course that would be the case. Very well, you shall learn everything about the goddesses soon enough!" Elizabeth told him. Meliodas gave a cruel smile, and Elizabeth raised her hands: "ANGEL'S TEARS!"

In a flash of light, Meliodas found out everything he wanted, alright, but not in the way he was expecting. Elizabeth showed him their love for life, nature, and the other clans, their love for peace, kindness, innocence, and love as well, and then their perspective of the demons laying waste to humans and their settlements, and being the harbingers of suffering! Meliodas felt their pain as they watched the demons destroying all the things that they cherished. He saw flashes of the suffering that he himself caused, and the destruction that he left in his wake, and the pain that he invoked on others, and now he felt it for himself.

When Elizabeth pulled him from his visions, something truly bizarre happened once everything sank in on Meliodas…

… For the first time in his life, Meliodas cried.

"You understand us now, don't you?" Elizabeth spoke. Still crying, Meliodas threw his arms around her, but not in a way that he posed a threat to her, but in an embrace that was seeking comfort.

"What the hell did you do to me?! I've never felt this way before!" Meliodas exclaimed as he pulled away from her.

"It's the emotional pain that you've caused others, and now you're finally feeling the guilt that humans, fairies, and giants feel when they regret doing something terrible. It's for these feelings that we believe in being good, innocent, and sharing kindness."

"What do I have to do to make these feelings go away?"

"That depends on how far you want to go… In order for you to make these feelings go away, you must first forgive yourself and then set out to atone for your sins… but being the Demon Prince, I suppose that you're not going to do that and you're going to seek out your comrades."

Meliodas got to his feet and turned away from Elizabeth, but then he told her: "No… I'm not going back to my comrades… I can't do that again, knowing what I know. I need to stop this pain. So when I turn around, I want you to show me your light!"

He turned back to her quickly and covered himself in darkness, forcing it into Elizabeth's light! The darkness fought to keep its claim over Meliodas, and he screamed as if in agony, but a look of determination shone on his face as he managed to push that darkness off of him, into the light, and then clapped his hands over both the darkness and the light, and a shockwave sent him flying backwards!

Both he and Elizabeth were out cold until the sun shone on them. Elizabeth rose first and she limped her way over to Meliodas, and shook him awake. Much to her surprise, the black crest on his forehead had vanished, and his black eyes were now green.

"Do you know what happened to you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I chose to atone for my actions, and I started by taking control over my darkness rather than letting it continue to rule over me. With the help of your light, I was able to become its master."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I shall be Demon Prince Meliodas no more, because I've decided that if I'm to help put an end to the suffering the demons re spreading, then I'm going to betray my clan… and then I'll come back to you… I'm going to need you to teach me about this feeling of 'love' that the other clans seem to have."

"Meliodas, what you're planning, it could start a war! So many will die!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Yes, but thanks to you, I know that at the end of war, there is peace and with peace comes light, and in that light, I hope to see you." Meliodas told her, then he gave a quizzical look at the surprised goddess and asked her: "By the way, what is your name?"

"I'm the Goddess Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth, have you ever had a demon say that you're pretty?"

Elizabeth shook her head, and Meliodas told her: "I think you are, especially for a Goddess."

He took her in his arms and brought her to shelter in the city where she could heal up and he left her so he could betray the Ten Commandments and ignite the flame that would begin the Holy War, but soon after that, he came back for Elizabeth.

ΩΩΩ

"So that's how it happened. Once the Goddess Elizabeth showed me the light, I chose my own path, which happened to be the side of good. I've been in control of my darkness ever since that night." Meliodas stated.

"This was quite the fascinating story, Captain, thank you for sharing." Merlin stated.

"Just try and keep from asking me about that part of my past again." Meliodas replied. His friends slowly nodded, and he went about to reopen the bar. He turned to his friends once again and asked them: "Is anyone up for another round?"

"I sure am!" Ban called out. Meilodas grabbed a few beers and poured them into steins, and Elizabeth approached to put them on a tray, but before bringing the drinks over, she told Meliodas: "I liked your story."

"Hmm?"

"After a lifetime of darkness, and finally feeling for yourself the pain you've caused, I liked seeing you decide for yourself to atone for your actions and to allow the light in your heart, well _hearts_ , all on your own."

"Thank you." Meliodas replied. Elizabeth served the beers, and the sins topped the night off happily.

ΩΩΩ

 **Well I hoped you guys enjoyed that, and until the Manga says otherwise, I think that this ought to be a good guess at how Meliodas went from the proud Demon Prince to the character we know now.**


End file.
